STOCK MARKETS

Although I have been investing and losing money in the stock markets since 1998, my serious love affair with the stock markets started in 2011 with my attending Professor Sanjay Bakshi's famous course on BFBV (Behaviourial Finance and Business Valuation). So much did I enjoy the course that I plunged into my managing my own money by investing in stocks directly. Since April 1, 2012 till date (02 Dec, 2015), my stock portfolio has returned a CAGR of about 14% as against the about 12% for the Sensex over the same period. However, my mutual fund equity portfolio has far outperformed my stock portfolio. As wth all entrepreneurs, I put that down to teething troubles of doing a new business. I hope to handily beat the market over the next decade while also ensuring a lower "capital at risk". Time will tell how good a job I end up doing

My rationale for investing in companies is simple. Where else in the world can you partner with an entrepreneur of your choice and enjoy the same exact returns as him in percentage terms. Needless to say, the exemption of long term capital gains tax in India on equity investments makes it even more attractive as an investment option.

Some of the books I would recommend on investing are:

The Little Book that creates Wealth

The Dhandho Investor

The Little book that beats the Market

You can be a stock market genius

Value Investing : From Buffet and Beyond

I am always up for a conversation about stock ideas. Also I have a good collection of books on investing and am more than happy if anyone wants to borrow them for reading.